6th insallment

During my high school years WW2 was still raging. Young men we grew up with went off to war Some to never return. In our small Ohio town people grew victory gardens. Many small industries grewup to make things for the war effort. Folks from West Virgina, Virgina, Kentucky, Tennessee

and several other states came into our area as there were a lot of small industry that supported the war effort. Many little fractories made small parts for many of the weapons used in war. My mother went to work for the Bendix corp. It became my job to look after my little brother Don. A job I hated was trying wake my older brothers to go to school. My step sister Had already left home so it was my duty now to take over her chores and do mine also. This was not bad as I learned to cook and plan meals. How to properly clean house and bake bread. There was a period that our greatgrandmother came to live with us. She taught me to crochet and knit, as well as make pie crust. She was a very exacting woman. When she was teaching me to crochet she told me that If I could not stop talking and crochet at the same time then I had better close my mouth. That was not possible so I learned to crochet and talk at the same time.

I had babysitting jobs, house cleaning jobs,and worked in the local resturant dipping ice cream cones. Hand dipped chocolates were made there and folks came from long distances to buy "Wallies chocolates"

Being a cheerleader, playing in the High School Band, taking part in the Drama department were all happy times in my life. I look back on those years with so many happy thoughts. The best part of growing up in a small town like Amherst is getting to make friends that are with you for life. The class of 1946 has been fortunate to have members that have kept the ties with many of us who choose to move away. I thank God every day that I was born and grewup in that community. Today one of the joys is to receive a Newsletter from my classmates "back home". I still keep in touch with some of them. There was a young man that I met from Elyria, Ohio. His sister married a fellow who lived on our street.Gladys and I became friends. She introduced me to her brother Jim. My mother was not to happy with that. He was 6 years older then I was. We carried on a long distance "young love time" by letter. Other young boys I went to school also came in and out of my life. Just the usual boy girl growingup relationships. Oh my life seemed that we had a million years ahead. May 1946 the class graduated from high school. Some went into the service, several thought about entering college. I found a job in a department store in Lorain, Ohio 8 miles from home. I walked to the bus stop about a mile each morning to go to my job. The bus dropped me off on the corner right across the street from the store. I Worked in several different departments. A class mate Connie Barck also went to work there. The job I had in the store that I liked best was "window dressing". I got to pick out the outfits to dress the "ladies" who stood in the window to present the fashions being sold in the store. Connie helped me picking out the clothes and hats. Boy in those days well dress ladies wore hats to match their outfits. People would come by and watch me work. Sometimes I'd see the same faces day ofter day. Always a smile and I gave one right back to them. Those years right after the war there still were many young men in uniforms of the different services. I remember one sailor standing watching me for a time and every time I looked his way he winked at me. Just before I had to go back into the store I blew him a kiss. Never saw that sailor again. I hope that God kept him safe.

I had sent for information to several different business type schools. I wanted to leave my home town as so many young kids do. The money that was sitting in the bank for me to use for education had grown to a decent sum for those years. I had saved some of the money I had worked for. January 7, 1947 my parents took me and my luggage to the train depot in Elyria, Ohio and when I climbed onto that train heading west to Omaha, Nebraska I felt so grownup and "smart". A whole new and different life ahead of me.

Day 5 to write my life

There were so many little things that made life a rainbow in my childhood. When I received my first bicycle. Going to our grandfather Wilsdon's in the summer during the county fair time or meeting our grandfather Koepp on the street in town and he would dig down in his pocket and magic, he had a nichol in his huge hands. That nichol could hardly be seen because he pinched it between his thumb and first finger. He would gently hand the coin to you and say"go get an ice cream cone". Playing kick the can in the summer and ice skating in the winter.

By the time I reached the age of 13 I felt pretty grown up. All the girls wore their hair long. It was WW 2 time and lots of us copied the hair styles of our Hollywood idols. Mine was Rita Hayworth. She had the most beautiful hair. We were grownup, in Jr. High School. Changing classes when the bell rang. I loved Hom Ec. Sewing and Cooking, History was another favorite English had to be endured and Math was such a pain for me. Again my brother Bill was so good in that subject. He was taking trumpet lessons and doing so well. A wonderful couple helped organize a club for we teens."The Rec" We could go and dance to the latest tunes on the Jukebox, play games and just "hang out. About 85% of us could walk to town from our homes so we had a place to go and get off the street. Only a few of the older boys had cars or the use of their family car. It was war time and gas was rationed. There was a group of Boys who formed a dance band. They were darn good and they played on Saturday nights. I loved to Polka. A boy that I went to school with, Bill Wilhelm was my partner. He was the one I planted the kiss on in 1st grade. He had a regular girlfriend Louise but she did not like to dance the solvoc dances so she let me borrow him. They are still together today. My Brother Bill was a member of that dance band. He played a mean trumpet.

A young man named Phil Lodge who was a senior ask me to go to a basketball game with him and some the other students of his class. I had never had a real DATE and to be asked by a senior Wellllllllllllll. I was just finishing 8th grade. I told him I would have to ask my mother, which I did. She said," well if he will come and ask me I will let you go." so back to school the next day I went. Found Phil and told him what my mother had said. Now you know that my mother thought he would never come and ask permission to take me out. He did. She was stuck but she gave me permission. Before she did however she had to tell him that I was still a little girl and he had better take good care of me. He did and all that summer he took me to movies, dances, picnics and just came and sat on our front porch and talked. He was such a nice boy and a perfect gentleman. My first real boyfriend.

My Life 4th writing

The school that my brother Bill and I attended was the school that our Mother graduated from High School in 1927. She was the President of her class and a very lovely to look at girl as well as being very popular with her fellow students. We had small classes in comparison to classes of the major schools today. Brother was a better student then I. He knew when to shut his mouth and listen. Me on the other hand was a social butterfly even in tomboy years. We lived in what was known as the german settlement of our little town. Summertime we had a wonderful baseball lot to play baseball on. Our crowd was very competitive. I am sure that the whole neighborhood heard me over the rest of the kids. Even today I can clear a room if I am not careful. It can be a real bother to have a loud voic.e Some of the kids We grew up with were Lois and Jimmy Dean, Karl and Gwen Smith, Ken Rogal, Dale Bruce, Peter Daraksis and his brothers, Bob Schaefer and our step-brother Jack Reinhardt and our half brother Don. Oh what a happy bunch we were. Most of us were poor as church mice but we did not know it. Life was so good. The house that our parents bought right after WW 2 faced North Main Street. It was owned by a brother and sister. Her name was Hattie and we kids were really frightened of her. In later life I realized that she had a learning disability, but in those days we all thought she was "nuts". She always looked so scarey. Could because we all swiped apples off her trees on the alley side. Mother and Dad made a real show place of that house. It did not have a bathroom only outside plumbing, When the boys got more grownup they made it a real project to knock over the outhouse at Halloween. I think that several of the fathers knew that we would have to set it back up right each year.

At the other end of the alley was Mrs. Wenzel's place. She raised chickens and a large garden as our step-father did. Mother bought eggs from Mrs. Wenzel for $.15 a dozen. I believe she called them Pullet eggs. The first eggs layed by the hens.